At First Presbyterian Church, we believe something wonderful: children aren’t just the future of the church—they are the church. In all their wiggly, giggly, deep-thinking, heart-wide-open selves, children are members of God’s covenant family. And just like the grown-ups, they are invited to worship, walk the long road of discipleship, and join the beautiful story of God’s redeeming love. 

This is why we pour our hearts into children’s ministry—not just to keep little hands busy while the “real church” happens, but because Jesus himself welcomed children into his arms and declared, “The kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). From the beginning, God has been revealing Himself to His people, and that includes His littlest ones. How we include them in worship and disciple them—both in the church and at home—shapes their faith for a lifetime. 

From the very beginning, God has been telling a story—a cosmic rescue story about His faithfulness, mercy, and love. Children aren’t just passive listeners to this story; they are part of it. They are meant to see themselves woven into a story far older than they are and yet still unfolding. 

Scripture is bursting with kids who play crucial roles in God’s plan. There’s Samuel, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he hears God’s voice calling at night. There’s Miriam, peeking through the reeds as her baby brother, Moses, floats into Pharaoh’s household. There’s the boy who shared his lunch, which Jesus turned into a feast for thousands. The Bible never treats children as “not ready yet” for faith.  

At FPC, we want every child to know—deep in their bones—that their life is part of something bigger than they can imagine. God made them, knows them, loves them, and calls them to trust Him. That’s why worship and discipleship matter so much. 

Why Worship? 
Worship is the heartbeat of our faith because it is where God meets His people. Through the ordinary means of grace—the reading and preaching of the Word, the sacraments, and prayer—God has promised to make Himself known, and that includes to our children. 

At FPC, we love welcoming children into the rhythms of worship—not just as observers, but as participants. This is why we have children in our sanctuary, hearing the Word read and preached, singing songs of faith, and participating in the sacraments. When little hands reach out to feel the waters of baptism or little ears hear the words of institution at the Lord’s Table, they are encountering the living God. Worship isn’t something they will one day be ready for—it is where God meets them now. 

And worship doesn’t stop when the benediction is spoken. Families carry these rhythms into their homes. When a child hears a hymn on Sunday and sings it again in the car on Monday, when they remember the words of a Scripture reading and whisper them at bedtime, when they see their parents pray and begin to pray on their own—these are the seeds of faith taking root. 

Why Discipleship?  
Following Jesus isn’t just about knowing the right answers. It’s about becoming more like Him. And that doesn’t happen overnight—it’s a lifelong journey, one that starts in childhood. 

Discipleship at FPC is about helping kids see that faith isn’t just for Sunday mornings; it’s for weekday afternoons, playground dramas, bedtime prayers, and dinner table conversations. It’s about learning to love like Jesus, even when your little brother is driving you crazy. It’s about seeing the hurting and deciding to help. It’s about trusting, even when you don’t understand. 

This is why our approach to discipleship is rooted in God’s promises and the covenantal life of the church. For example, when our Confirmands work on their faith statements, they do so with the elders of the church, other parents serving as small group leaders, and with their parents around the dinner table. This is a continuation of their baptismal vows—a reminder that they don’t navigate faith alone but nurtured in community. 

This is also why our Vacation Bible School happens in the evening. It’s not just about a fun week in the summer—it’s an opportunity for whole families to grow in faith together. Parents, youth, and church members of all ages, side by side, modeling a faith that is lived out in relationship with one another. Discipleship doesn’t happen in isolation; it happens in the everyday moments of life together. 

Telling the Story Well 
The way we talk about God with children matters. That’s why, at FPC, we seek to tell the gospel story in a way that is both deeply biblical and deeply true to real life. We don’t want to shrink the good news to be bite size. We want kids to grasp the grand, sweeping, earth-shaking truth: that Jesus came to make all things new—including them. 

As theologian Karen R. Keen and others have pointed out, children need a God who is big enough for their questions, kind enough for their fears, and close enough for their everyday struggles. They need to hear that they are part of a church family that will walk with them, love them, and remind them—over and over again—that they belong. 

Here’s something we don’t say often enough: children don’t just need the church—the church needs children. At FPC, we believe that the church isn’t whole unless children are fully included in worship, discipleship, and mission. We want to be a place where kids don’t just sit on the sidelines but step into the faith with their whole hearts. 

Worship and discipleship aren’t just programs at FPC—they are pillars. They are how God promises to meet His people. Through Word and Sacrament, through prayers spoken at bedtime, through hands held at dinnertime, through voices lifted in song—God is forming us. 

And that? That is the greatest story they’ll ever hear.